Yee proposes helmet law

State Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) wants anyone under 18 to wear a helmet while skiing or snowboarding in the great state of California. To ensure that happens, he’s introduced a bill that would make it mandatory.

Would love to know how Slope Dope readers feel about this kind of thing. I grew up skiing without helmets, and have to admit that I still don’t wear one. But I sure like it when my kids do.

Deep down, though, I’m not a huge fan of paternalistic law. I’d like to think, unless you’re endangering others, personal choices like this should be left up to the individual.

Here’s a press release from Yee’s office, detailing his proposal:

SACRAMENTO — Senator Leland Yee (D–San Francisco) introduced legislation today to safeguard children who enjoy California’s most popular alpine sports: skiing and snowboarding. SB 880 would require all children under age 18 to wear helmets while skiing and snowboarding. SB 880 is modeled after existing law that requires minors to wear helmets while riding a bicycle.

“California’s ski slopes are perhaps the last area of recreation where we do not have basic safety standards in place for children,” said Yee, who is a child psychologist. “Despite repeated warnings from public health experts, professional athletes, and ski resorts, each winter brings news of hundreds of unnecessary tragedies for the failure to wear a helmet. With this legislation, we can significantly reduce instances of traumatic brain injury or death for such a vulnerable population.”

Half of all skiing deaths are caused by a head injury. Recent studies show that when helmets are used, the incidence of traumatic brain or head injury has been reduced 29 percent to 56 percent. The Federal Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) has found that more than 7,000 head injuries per year on the slopes in the U.S. could be prevented or reduced in severity by the use of a helmet. The CPSC study also showed that “for children under 15 years of age, 53 percent of head injuries (approximately 2,600 of the 4,950 head injuries annually) are addressable by use of a helmet.”

“We are very pleased to be working with Dr. Yee on this important public safety measure for children in California,” said Dr Jo Linder-Crow, Executive Director of the California Psychological Association. “The tremendous research coming from the growing field of neuropsychology made this an issue of utmost importance to our members and the public that we needed to tackle head on. The lives lost and public health costs are too high to ignore any longer.”

In anticipation of a response by some that helmets for child skiers and snowboarders should be left to the parents, Senator Yee said, “When the data is so conclusive that helmets save lives and reduce severity of injuries, California should set minimum standards for safety. We correctly do not allow parental choice for car seats and seat belts or basic vaccinations for children attending schools; nor should a helmet for kids on ski slopes be optional.”

Following the lead of California’s bicycle helmet law, SB 880 would impose a fine of not more than $25 on the parents of a child who fails to wear a helmet while skiing or snowboarding.